1871.] IN THE BRITISH MUSEUM. 663 



mottled with black, without bands ; pectoral and ventral fins brown, 

 with whitish reticulations. 



Length of a single specimen 14g inches. South Australia. 



Dactylopterus orientalis. 



Young examples have been described by Dr. Bleeker under the 

 name of D. chiropkthalmits (Nat. Tyds. Ned. Ind. vii. 1854, p. 494). 



Peristethus uiorhynchus. (Plate LXII.) 

 D. 7|J. A. 21. L. lat. 34. 



Prseorbital processes of moderate width, their length being one 

 third of the distance between their extremity and the front margin 

 of the orbit. Snout and forehead without any spines ; also the prae- 

 opercular ridge does not terminate in a spine. Interorbital space 

 concave, its width being equal to the diameter of the eye. Anterior 

 abdominal scutes considerably longer than broad, and much larger 

 than the posterior, which are broader than long. Red, coarsely 

 reticulated with blackish. The dorsal, anal, and pectoral fins with 

 a black margin. 



One specimen, 85 inches long, was obtained by Dr. A. B. Meyer 

 at Manado. 



Peristethus engyceros. (See woodcut, p. 662.) 



Praeorbital processes narrow; their length is contained twice and 

 three fourths in the distance of their extremity from the orbit. 

 Snout with three spines above ; four or five similar spines in front of 

 the upper part of the orbit. Prseopercular spine nearly as long as 

 prseorbital process, subcylindrical, acutely pointed. Interorbital 

 space concave, its width less than the vertical diameter of the orbit. 

 There are also some small spines on each side of the crown of the 

 head. Anterior ventral plates rather longer than broad, posterior 

 nearly twice as broad as long. 



I have seen only the fragments of a dried example of this new 

 species ; it was sent by Harper Pease, Esq., from the Sandwich 

 Islands. 



Gobius mucosus. (Plate LXIII. fig. A.) 

 D. 6|-j. A. 10. 



The scales are very small and hidden below a thick mucous cover- 

 ing, which envelops all parts and forms on the snout and sides of 

 the head transverse and longitudinal ridges. The height of the body 

 is one fifth of the total length (without caudal), the length of the 

 head two sevenths. Head rather depressed, its depth being one half 

 of its length. Snout moderately produced, the posterior margin of 

 the orbit occupying nearly the middle of the head. The diameter 

 of the eye equals the width of the interorbital space, and is one fifth 

 of the length of the head. Mouth small, subvertical, the angle of 

 the mouth being at a considerable distance from the eye. Teeth 



